Kala-Makara The candis of ancient Java are notable with the application of kala-makara as both decorative and symbolic elements of the temple architecture.
Kala is the giant symbolizing
time, by making kala's head as temple portals element, it symbolizes that time consumes everything. Kala is also a protective figure, with fierce giant face it scares away malevolent spirits.
Makara is a mythical sea monster, the vahana of sea-god
Varuna. It has been depicted typically as half mammal and half fish. In many temples the depiction is in the form of half fish or seal with the head of an
elephant. It is also shown with head and jaws of a
crocodile, an elephant trunk, the tusks and ears of a wild
boar, the darting eyes of a
monkey, the scales and the flexible body of a
fish, and the swirling tailing feathers of a
peacock. Both kala and makara are applied as the protective figures of the temple's entrance. Kala is the giant head, often takes place on top of the entrance with makaras projected on either sides of kala's head, flanking the portal or projecting on the top corner as antefixes. The kala-makara theme also can be found on stair railings on either sides. On the upper part of stairs, the mouth of kala's head projecting makara downward. The intricate stone carving of twin makaras flanking the lower level of stairs, with its curved bodies forming the stair's railings. Other than makaras, kala's head might also project its tongue as stair's railings. These types of stair-decorations can be observed in Borobudur and Prambanan. Makara's trunks are often describes as handling
gold ornaments or spouting
jewels, while in its mouth often projected
Gana dwarf figures or animals such as
lions or
parrots.
Linga-Yoni '' serpent, Yogyakarta 9th century In ancient Javanese
candi, the linga-yoni symbolism was only found in Hindu temples, more precisely those of Shivaist faith. Therefore, they are absent in Buddhist temples. The
linga is a
phallic post or cylinder symbolic of the god
Shiva and of creative power. Some lingas are segmented into three parts: a square base symbolic of
Brahma, an octagonal middle section symbolic of
Vishnu, and a round tip symbolic of Shiva. The lingas that survive from the Javanese classical period are generally made of polished stone of this shape. Lingas are implanted in a flat square base with a hole in it, called a
yoni, symbolic of the womb and also represents
Parvati, Shiva's consort. A yoni usually has a kind of spout, usually decorated with
nāga, to help channeled and collects the liquids poured upon linga-yoni during Hindu ritual. As a religious symbol, the function of the linga is primarily that of worship and ritual. Oldest remains of linga-yoni can be found in
Dieng temples from earlier period circa 7th century. Originally each temples might have a complete pair of linga-yoni unity. However, most of the times, the linga is missing. In the tradition of Javanese kingship, certain lingas were erected as symbols of the king himself or his dynasty, and were housed in royal temples in order to express the king's consubstantiality with Shiva. The example is the linga-yoni of
Gunung Wukir temple, according to
Canggal inscription is connected to King
Sanjaya from the
Mataram kingdom, in 654
Saka (732 CE). Other temples that contains complete linga-yoni include
Sambisari and
Ijo temples. Eastern Javanese temples that contains linga-yoni are
Panataran and
Jawi temple, although the linga is missing.
Bas-reliefs killing evil giant, bas-relief of
Ramayana on Prambanan temple, Central Java style The walls of
candi often displayed
bas-reliefs, either serves as decorative elements as well as to convey religious symbolic meanings; through describing narrative bas-reliefs. The most exquisite of the temple bas-reliefs can be found in Borobudur and Prambanan temples. The first four terrace of Borobudur walls are showcases for bas-relief sculptures. These are exquisite, considered to be the most elegant and graceful in the ancient Buddhist world. The Buddhist scriptures describes as bas-reliefs in Borobudur such as
Karmavibhangga (the law of karma),
Lalitavistara (the birth of Buddha),
Jataka,
Avadana and
Gandavyuha. While in
Prambanan the Hindu scriptures is describes in its bas-relief panels; the
Ramayana and
Bhagavata Purana (popularly known as
Krishnayana). The bas-reliefs in Borobudur depicted many scenes of daily life in 8th-century ancient Java, from the courtly palace life, hermit in the forest, to those of commoners in the village. It also depicted temple, marketplace, various flora and fauna, and also
native vernacular architecture. People depicted here are the images of king, queen, princes, noblemen, courtier, soldier, servant, commoners, priest and hermit. The reliefs also depicted mythical spiritual beings in Buddhist beliefs such as
asuras, gods,
boddhisattvas,
kinnaras,
gandharvas and
apsaras. The images depicted on bas-relief often served as reference for historians to research for certain subjects, such as the study of architecture, weaponry, economy, fashion, and also mode of transportation of 8th-century
Maritime Southeast Asia. One of the famous renderings of an 8th-century Southeast Asian double outrigger ship is
Borobudur Ship. battling enemy, bas-relief of Ramayana on
Penataran temple, East Java style There are significant distinction of bas-reliefs' style and aesthetics between the Central Javanese period (prior of 1000 CE) and East Javanese period (after 1000 CE). The earlier Central Javanese style, as observable in Borobudur and Prambanan, are more exquisite and naturalistic in style. The reliefs is projected rather high from the background, the images was done in naturalistic style with proper ideal body proportion. On the other hand, the bas-reliefs of Eastern Javanese style is projected rather flat from the background, the images was done in stiffer pose and stylized style, similar to currently Balinese wayang images. The East Javanese style is currently preserved in Balinese art, style and aesthetics in temple bas-reliefs, also
wayang shadow puppet imagery, as well as the
Kamasan painting.
Deities Kalpataru and Kinnaras (male), Kinnari
(female), Apsara, and Devata guarding Kalpataru'', the divine tree of life. 8th century
Pawon temple,
Java, Indonesia The images of coupled
Kinnara and
Kinnari can be found in
Borobudur,
Mendut,
Pawon, Sewu, Sari, and
Prambanan temples. Usually, they are depicted as birds with human heads, or humans with lower limbs of birds. The pair of
Kinnara and
Kinnari usually is depicted guarding
Kalpataru (
Kalpavriksha), the tree of life, and sometimes guarding a jar of treasure. There are bas-relief in Borobudur depicting the story of the famous
kinnari,
Manohara. The lower outer wall of Prambanan temples were adorned with row of small niche containing image of
simha (lion) flanked by two panels depicting bountiful kalpataru (kalpavriksha) tree. These wish-fulfilling sacred trees according to Hindu-Buddhist beliefs, is flanked on either side by
kinnaras or animals, such as pairs of birds, deer, sheep, monkeys, horses, elephants etc. The pattern of lion in niche flanked by kalpataru trees is typical in Prambanan temple compound, thus it is called as "Prambanan panel".
Boddhisattva and Tara In Buddhist temples, the panels of bas-reliefs usually adorned with exquisite images of male figure of
Bodhisattvas and female figure of
Taras, along with
Gandarvas heavenly musicians, and sometimes the flock of
Gana dwarfs. These are the deities and divinities in Buddhist beliefs, which resides in the
Tushita heaven in Buddhism cosmology. Bodhisattvas are usually depicted as handsome man with peaceful and serene facial expression, adorned with luxurious jewelry akin to a king or a deity. While the Taras are his female counterparts, figures of beautiful celestial maidens. Both figures are depicted gracefully, usually holding various kinds of lotus (red
padma, blue
utpala, or white
kumuda), monk staff (
khakkhara) or fly whisk (
chamara), and standing in
tribhanga pose. The notable images of
boddhisattvas could be found adorning the outer walls of
Plaosan, Sari, Kalasan, Sewu, Pawon and of course Borobudur temple.
Devata and Apsara In Hindu temples, the celestial couple; male
Devatas and female
Apsaras are usually found adorns the panels of temple's walls. They are the Hindu counterpart of Buddhist
Bodhisattva-Tara celestial beings. On the other side of narrative panels in Prambanan, the temple wall along the gallery were adorned with the statues and reliefs of
devatas and
brahmin sages. The figure of
lokapalas, the celestial guardians of directions can be found in Shiva temple. The Brahmin sage editors of veda were carved on Brahma temple wall, while in Vishnu temple the figures of a male deities
devatas flanked by two
apsaras. The depiction of celestial beings of lesser gods and goddesses—
devatas and
apsaras, describes the Hindu concept of sacred realm of
Svargaloka. This is corresponds to the concept of the towering Hindu temple as the epitome of
Mount Meru in Hindu cosmology.
Guardians Dvarapala temple Most of larger temple compound in ancient Java were guarded by a pair of
dvarapala statues, as gate guardians. The twin giants usually placed flanked the entrance in front of the temple, or in four cardinal points. Dvarapala took form of two fierce giants or demons that ward off evil and malevolent spirits from entering the sacred temple compounds. In Central Javanese art, dvarapala is mostly portrayed as a stout and rather chubby giant, with fierce face of glaring round goggle eyes, protruding fangs, curly hairs and moustaches, with fat and round belly. The giant usually depicted as holding
gada and sometimes knives as weapon. In East Javanese art and Balinese version however, the dvarapala usually depicted rather well-built and muscular, with a fine example taken from Adan-adan site near Kediri. The exception is a gigantic dvarapala of
Singhasari near Malang, East Java that measures tall. The most notable dvarapala statues are those of candi
Sewu, each pair guarding four cardinal points of the grand temple complex, making them a total eight large dvarapala statues in perfect condition. The dvarapalas of Sewu temple has become the prototype of
Gupolo guardian in later Javanese art, copied as guardians in Javanese of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Another fine example is two pairs of dvarapala guarding the twin temples of
Plaosan.
Lion The statues of a pair of
lions (Sanskrit:
Siṁha, Indonesian and Javanese:
Singa) flanking the portal, are often placed as the guardians of
candi entrance. Lions were never native to Southeast Asia in
recorded history. As the result, the depiction of lions in ancient Southeast Asian art, especially in ancient
Java and
Cambodia, is far from the naturalistic style as depicted in Greek or Persian art counterparts, since the depictions were all based on perception and imagination. The cultural depictions and the reverence of lions as the noble and powerful beasts in Southeast Asia was influenced by Indian culture especially through
Buddhist symbolism. Statues of a pair of lions often founds in temples in Southeast Asia as the gate guardians. In
Borobudur Buddhist monument
Central Java,
Indonesia, andesite stone statues of lions guard four main entrances of Borobudur. The thrones of
Buddha and
Boddhisattva found in
Kalasan and
Mendut Buddhist temples of ancient Java depicted elephants, lions, and
makara. The statue of winged lion also found in
Penataran temple
East Java.
Stupa, Ratna and Vajra pinnacles The religions dedicated in the temples of ancient Java can be easily distinguished mainly from its pinnacles on top of the roof. Bell-shaped
stupa can be found on the Buddhist temples' roof, while ratna, the pinnacle ornaments symbolize gem, mostly founds in Hindu temples. The typical stupas in Javanese classical temple architecture is best described as those of
Borobudur style; the bell-shaped stupa. The stupa in Borobudur upper round terrace of
Arupadhatu consist of round lotus pedestal (
padmasana or "lotus pad"), gently sloped bell-shaped dome (
anda), a rectangular or octagonal shape (
harmika) sits on top of the dome serves as the base of hexagonal rod-like pinnacle (
yasti). Each stupa is pierced by numerous decorative openings in rectangular or rhombus shapes. Statues of the
Buddha sit inside the pierced stupa enclosures. Borobudur was first thought more likely to have served as a
stupa, instead of a temple. A
stupa is intended as a
shrine for the Buddha. Sometimes stupas were built only as devotional symbols of Buddhism. A temple, on the other hand, is used as a house of worship. A typical Ratna pinnacle has a curved obtuse pyramidal shape, or sometimes cylindrical, composed of several base structures or pedestals decorated with ornamental seams (Javanese:
pelipit). This form is known as a
keben pinnacle and is modeled after the fruit of
Barringtonia asiatica. It can be found as the pinnacle of both Hindu and Buddhist temples. Nevertheless, it is most prevalent in Hindu temples. Prominent examples of temples with ratna pinnacles are
Sambisari and Ijo temple. In Prambanan, the stylized
vajra replaced ratna as the temple's pinnacles. In ancient Javanese temple architecture, the vajra pinnacle probably served as the Hindu counterparts of Buddhist stupa pinnacle. This practice is preserved in
Balinese Hindu temples of later periods where the multi-tiered
meru towers are crowned with vajra pinnacles. Nevertheless, vajra is a familiar symbol in both dharmic faiths. In later periods of Eastern Java temple architecture, the false lingga-yoni, or cube, can be found in Hindu temple's roof, while cylindrical dagoba can be found on top of Buddhist counterparts. == Location ==